Knife.



JfW. BEARDSLEY & E. E. FOLTSF KNIFE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.23,1910.

988,068. I 8 Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

TH: NORRIS PETER5'CO., WASHINGTON, n. c.

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JOHN W. BEARDSLEY AND ELTON E. FOLTS, OF KANE, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNIFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1911.

Application filed February 23, 1910. Serial No. 545,376.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, JOHN W. BEARDS- LEY and ELTON E. FoL'rs, citizensof the United States, residing at Kane, in the county of McKean andState of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful'lmprovementsin Knives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to pocket knives and chiefly to that variety ofpocketknives known as locking knives, the blade thereof being lockedopen by the spring back.

This invention also contemplates the construction of a knife of thistype and character wherein the spring back has a double bearing upon theshank of the knife when the same is closed, which bearing tends toretain the knife in a closed position, and raise the edge thereof fromthe back to prevent the dulling thereof.

A. further object of this invention is to apply the same to a knifewherein a plurality of blades are used in such a manner that only asingle locking element, that is, a spring back is necessary.

lVith the above and other objects in view, this invention consists ofthe construction,

combination and arrangement of parts all as hereinafter more fullydescribed, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure l is a central longitudinal section of a knife illustrating thepresent invention as adapted for use in connection with a single blade;Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modification thereof setting forth theconstruction of a knife provided with a plurality of blades; Fig. 3 islikewise a central longitudinal section illustrating the position of theblades when closed; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the spring lookback.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates thehandle portion of a knife constructed in the usual manner, havingpivoted therebetween at one extremity the knife blade 11, and providedwith the butt block 14 at the opposite extremity thereof. This buttblock is provided adjacent the back of the knife with a recess 15, saidrecess forming the shoulder on the interior of the butt block.

The shank 13 of the knife is provided with a notch 12 in one sidethereof and a depression 21 oppositely disposed thereto, said recessforming a projecting shoulder of the lug 24. This construction of theshank of the knife cooperates with the peculiar formation of the springlook back for attaining one of the objects of the present invention,that is, to provide a double pressure on the shank for retaining thesame within the handle portions when the knife is closed and supportingthe latter from the back.

The spring lock back 16 is of a peculiar formation, being provided atthe extremity thereof adjacent the butt block 14 with the outwardlyextending projection 17, said projection forming a means wherebypressure may be exerted on the back to release the knife blade 11 whenthe same is locked in an open position. The back 16 is pivoted betweenthe handle portions 10 by the rivet 18 centrally disposed with respectto the length of said back and is the securing means thereof. The back16 is split directly under the finger piece 17 from the extremityinwardly, after which it is bent outwardly and tempered in thisposition, thus forming the outwardly curved spring which, when the backrests in its normal position, bears against the shoulder of the recess15 formed in the butt block 14. The forward extremity of the back 16 isprovided with an inwardly extending lug 19 which, when the knife bladeis open is engaged in the recess 12 of the shank 13, thereby locking theknife in said position. The body portion of the back is reduced at 25adjacent said lock, forming a sloping surface which cooperates with theshoulder or projection 24 of the shank. Attention is directed to theadvantages derived from this construction of the back 16. When the knifeis closed as is set forth in Fig. 3, the lug 19 bears against theextremity of the shank while the depressed portion 25 of the backoperates against the projection 24, thus supporting the knife from theback, exerting a double pressure thereon to retain the same within thehandle and supply a means whereby the back 16 rests flush with the edgesof the handle portion when the knife is closed.

Referring to the modification set forth in Figs. 2 and 3, the means forlocking the forward blade 11 is exactly similar to that illustrated inFig. 1, the lug 19 engaging in the recess 12. However, the blade 26 ispivoted in the opposite extremity of the handle portions to thatoccupied by the blade 11, the shank 22 thereof being constructed similarto the shank of the blade 11'. This shank is provided with an angularrecess 23 which is adapted to be engaged by the inwardly extending lug29 carried at the terminal of the spring 20. The butt 15 extends only aportion of the width or depth of the handle, consequently permitting theblade 26 to swing freely, and a transverse pin 27 is located under thespring 20 and bears against the same.

From the foregoing description, it will readily be seen that uponexerting a pressure on the finger piece 17, the extremity thereofcarrying the same will be depressed about the fulcrum 18, causing theforward extremity to be raised, and as a result the lug 19 will beremoved from the recess 12 thus raising the knife blade and permittingthe same to be closed.

In the modification, the operation is similar as regards the blade 11,while the blade 26 is released by the pin 2? bearing against the springand raising the lug 29 from ongagement with the recess 28, said pinacting a fulcrum for said spring.

Having thus fully described our invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a knife, a handle, a plurality of blades pivoted in said handle,-arecess formed in one side of the shank of each blade, a

spring look back pivoted centrally in said handle, having at oneextremity thereof an inwardly 1310160't1-11g lug adapted to engage therecess in one of the blades, and at its tion of the back directly abovesaid spring.

opposite terminal an integrally formed spring having an inwardlyprojecting lug at the terminal thereof adapted toengage the recess inthe shank of the remaining blade, and means whereby said last named lugmay be released from said last named blade when a pressure is applied tothe main body por- 2. In a knife, a handle, a plurality of bladespivoted in said handle, a recess formed in one side of the shank of eachblade, a spring lock back pivoted centrally in said handle, having atone extremity thereof an inwardly projecting lug adapted to engage therecess in one of the blades, and at its opposite terminal an integrallyformed spring having an inwardly projecting lug at the terminal thereofadapted to engage the recess in the shank of the remaining blade, and apressure pivot located below said spring adapted to release said lastnamed blade from the free terminal of said spring when pressure isexerted on the body por-- tion of the back directly above said spring.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN lV. BEARDSLE". ELTON E. FOLTS.

Witnesses CHAS. G. HUBBARD, C. V. GiLLis.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Eatents,

- Washington, D. C.

